Adi

A cold wind howled, lifting the curtains of the inn, and tiny, crystalline snowflakes drifted into the inn. Pang Linqiu brewed a pot of hot tea, her eyes lowered in deep thought.

"Tap tap—" The sound of footsteps treading on the soft snow came from outside the curtain.

We have guests.

A red-tinged finger bone lifted the curtain, which had been concealing the frost and snow, and gradually the figure appeared.

It is Peng Xuan'an.

In a good mood, he spotted Pang Linqiu drinking hot tea and quietly approached her to sit down in front of her.

Seeing her lost in thought, he asked, "Madam, what are you thinking about?"

"..." She came to her senses, looked up at him, and didn't answer.

Seeing that she didn't seem to want to pay attention to him, he felt a little disheartened and asked again, "It's so cold, where's your fur coat?"

"You know perfectly well why you're asking. Weren't you just watching the whole time?" She was speechless.

Peng Xuan'an suppressed his smile. He had indeed witnessed her good deeds, and he had planned to leave court early to see what she was busy with. But as luck would have it, on his way there he saw her carrying a child, running away anxiously and worriedly.

He looked around, trying to find the child, and wondered when she had discovered him. "Madam, when did you find me?"

"I'm not blind; I saw you out of the corner of my eye." She was a little annoyed. "Why did you leave court so soon?" She thought he was worried she'd be late again. "Didn't I say I'd be back before nightfall?"

"His Majesty was unwell today, so he adjourned the court early." He poured himself a cup of hot tea, twirling it between his fingers as he chuckled, "How is Madam's mood today?" His words carried a hidden meaning.

Pang Linqiu knew this was no different from checking in every day. "Annoying!"

"Madam, I have good news to tell you."

"Um."

Seeing her lukewarm reaction, Peng Xuan'an sighed helplessly, "Madam, your eldest and second brothers were released from prison today." He wondered if she would be happy about it.

"Oh." Still indifferent.

Peng Xuan'an was unwilling to give up, and looked like he was waiting to be praised: "I spoke up for them in court today, and that's why His Majesty was willing to spare their lives."

"Um."

"Doesn't Madam feel grateful to me?"

"In no mood."

Peng Xuan'an was taken aback, then said somewhat angrily, "Madam! I saved their lives!"

"They won't die even if you don't tell." She still remembered her words to the Emperor, to protect her family, but she was still somewhat angry. She had heard early on that her eldest brother had lost an arm, her second brother had lost a leg, and her elderly father had only received fifty strokes of the cane, but that was enough to kill him! She could only watch from the sidelines and couldn't step forward to stop it.

Peng Xuan'an was stunned, completely unaware of the information inside. He only knew that her eldest and second brothers were both under trial, though it wasn't explicitly stated that they would be sentenced to death. But he knew that the salt smuggling case was enormous; no matter how great their contributions, being convicted of this crime would at least result in severe consequences, if not death.

Soon, the food Pang Linqiu had ordered was served. Peng Xuan'an looked at the food, putting the earlier incident out of his mind, and asked curiously, "Where's the child?"

Five dishes, three meat dishes, one vegetable dish, and one soup. Just looking at them makes your mouth water, and the aroma is irresistible.

Pang Linqiu turned to Lu Chi and asked, "Lu Chi, have you checked if things have been settled with your mother?"

"Okay." Lu Chi received the instruction and was about to take a step.

Then they heard Aunt Lu's loving laughter, "Slow down, girl."

The child was thoroughly washed, her dusty little face instantly clean, though her cheeks were still flushed from the cold. She smelled the aroma of food and was already starving. Aunt Lu led the child, who, eager to fill her stomach, pulled Aunt Lu along. However, she was too frail to carry Aunt Lu, who was quite large, and her strength was almost completely drained.

When Pang Linqiu saw the person arrive, her gentle gaze fell on the child, who was only about as tall as Aunt Lu's thigh. She was so thin! Pang Linqiu couldn't help but feel sorry for the girl. When she picked her up, she felt that the child was truly too thin; it felt like she was holding her skeleton.

When the girl saw that there were two other people at the table, she immediately hid behind Aunt Lu in fear, her eyes filled with dread.

Pang Linqiu smiled gently and beckoned to the girl, "Little sister, come here."

Aunt Lu nudged her, pushing her in front of Pang Linqiu. She bent down and looked at the child with tenderness. She gently took the child's small hands in her own, asking softly, "What's your name?"

She could clearly feel that the girl's hands were still very cold, and her whole body was trembling slightly, whether from fear or cold, she didn't know. Pang Linqiu raised her hand to gently stroke her, then picked up the thin girl with both hands and placed her on her lap.

"Are you hungry?" Pang Linqiu brought over a steamed bun, picked up her chopsticks and put a few meat dishes into the empty bowl, then placed the steamed bun in the girl's hand: "Eat without worry."

The girl took the steamed bun; the aroma was so tempting. She was so hungry! So hungry she could eat anything, but she was still a little scared. She could feel Pang Linqiu's kindness; she was so kind to her, not even disgusted by her, carrying her back and giving her food. Her heart was warmed.

She glanced at Peng Xuan'an sitting opposite her. She was afraid, so afraid that if she ate it, would this older brother beat her like her father? Tears welled up in her eyes. Thinking that she would rather die than starve, she opened her mouth and began to tear at the steamed bun, wolfing it down.

Seeing how anxious she was, Pang Linqiu patted her head and said, "Don't rush, take your time."

Peng Xuan'an looked kind, picked up a pair of chopsticks, and placed a dish into the girl's bowl. He felt the scene was so warm and lovely; he liked it so much, just like a family of three. Seeing her happy expression, his heart was also drawn to her.

Aunt Lu couldn't help but laugh at the sight, "Young Master and Madam, when are you planning to have a child? Look at this scene..." Before she could finish speaking, Pang Linqiu's face turned cold, and she glared at her.

Signaling her to shut up, Aunt Lu realized she had said something she shouldn't have, and tactfully called everyone away, leaving only the three of them in the inn.

Pang Linqiu finally felt some peace and quiet. Looking at the child in her arms, maternal love welled up inside her. "What's your name?" she asked.

She whispered timidly, "Ah...di..."

Pang Linqiu didn't know which "di" it was, so she asked again, "Which character is it?"

“There’s a… girl… younger brother next to her…” She lowered her guard against Pang Linqiu, but she was still afraid.

Pang Linqiu frowned and sighed softly, gleaning a general idea of ​​the girl's status in her family from her name. She gently stroked the girl's cheek with her index finger and asked, "Where are your parents?"

Hearing the words "parents," Adi was heartbroken and couldn't even eat her steamed bun. Two lines of tears streamed down her face as she looked at her pitiful face. "Father... Mother... don't want Adi anymore. They said that if we don't do this... my little brother won't survive... this winter..." she said, wiping away her tears as she spoke.

Peng Xuan'an was filled with indignation, his brows furrowed in anger.

Pang Linqiu gently comforted her, stroking her head, "Adi, don't cry. Would you like to come with me?"

With tears welling up in her eyes, Adi hurriedly said, "Adi can do anything. Sister, just give Adi a bite to eat, and Adi will do anything."

"Okay." Pang Linqiu nodded, picked her up and placed her on a stool beside her, gesturing for her to continue eating.

Peng Xuan'an felt sorry for the child's plight, but he couldn't do anything out of line. He glanced at Pang Linqiu; she seemed to really like the child.

He recalled Aunt Lu's words, a faint smile playing on his lips, and asked, "Madam, do you like children?"

Pang Linqiu looked up at him, her eyes showing no liking whatsoever. "It's alright." She could roughly understand what he meant.

He raised an eyebrow tentatively: "Madam, would you like... one?"

"..." She ignored her and continued to look at Adi.

Peng Xuan'an instantly felt awkward. Her meaning was clear: he shouldn't even think about being turned away. He glanced at Adi, feeling a pang of sadness. He thought that if he had a child Adi's age, he would never let them suffer.

"How old is Adi this year?" he asked.

"Seven years old!"

Peng Xuan'an looked at the child's adorable smile, covered her mouth with her hand, picked up a piece of meat and put it in her bowl. "Adi is so good!"

He didn't understand why her parents were so hostile towards her.

"Madam, do you plan to return to the manor today, or rest here?"

Pang Linqiu thought for a moment, realizing she hadn't finished her official duties. "It's windy and frosty outside, so rest here. If you want to go back to the manor, you can go back on your own."

"We will follow your advice, Madam, and rest here."

Pang Linqiu nodded in satisfaction, then turned and called out towards the kitchen, "Lu Chi! Get two rooms."

"?"

Lu Chi replied, "Okay!"

"One room for the young master, and one room for me."

The meaning is clear: separate rooms.

Before Peng Xuan'an could say anything, Pang Linqiu spoke first, "If you don't want to, go back to your residence and sleep."

Peng Xuan'an had no choice but to accept.

Winter ends and spring arrives. Just as the weather warmed up, two uninvited guests arrived at the Minister's residence. They claimed to be Adi's parents, and upon hearing that their "lost" daughter was at their home, they tearfully pleaded for her return.

Peng Xuan'an was attending court when Pang Linqiu faced two men alone. They were dressed in tattered clothes and looked pitiful. They knelt on the ground, and Adi's mother cried out, "Madam, please give Adi back to us!"

Adi's father clasped his hands and pleaded, "Madam! Adi is my daughter, my flesh and blood!"

Listening to their conversation, Pang Linqiu rubbed her temples, feeling a headache coming on. She sat on the heated kang (a traditional Chinese bed-stove), leaning against a small table and sighing.

"As her parents, why did you abandon her in the dead of winter?" she said angrily. "Didn't you know that such a small child could freeze to death?!" She slammed her hand on the table in anger.

Adi's mother raised her hand to wipe her eyes. "Madam! We didn't mean to. We were just thinking of going to town to buy some New Year's goods, but we never expected Adi to get lost."

"Yes, madam, we have been searching for her for a long time, but we have not received any news. We thought... we thought..." He sighed deeply.

The husband and wife were so in sync that Pang Linqiu had a headache and felt overwhelmed.

“I heard from Adi that you abandoned her! She’s doing so much better with me than with you, and you only found out about her in early spring?! Adi cries and begs me every night, begging her parents not to abandon her! You haven’t shown your faces for four months!”

They got along well over the four months, and she gradually developed feelings for Adi.

Adi's parents looked troubled. Her father patted his chest and said sadly, "Madam! If it weren't for my limited abilities, how could I bear to part with her? If she were a boy, I would risk my life..."

"Bang—" Pang Linqiu's face darkened, and she slammed her hand on the table in anger.

She was furious: "Just because she's a girl? You're so heartless as to abandon her? Boys are your flesh and blood, but girls aren't?!"